PART III
Ecosystem Services and Climate Change:
Ireland's ecosystems, like ecosystems around the world, serve a variety of purpose to maintain environmental unity. Some of these 'ecosystem services' are regulating climate conditions, purifying water, air and soil, breaking down and recycling wastes, protecting from flooding, controlling pests, and providing resources and food. As climate change begins to affect ecosystems on a global scale, these services can no longer be performed, and every organism is at a disadvantage. In many ways, ecosystem health is tied directly to the damaging effects of climate change, including factors of temperature, air quality, floodwater buffers, and biodiversity. See maps R and S below for Ireland's changes in annual temperature and precipitation because of climate change:
Ireland's ecosystems, like ecosystems around the world, serve a variety of purpose to maintain environmental unity. Some of these 'ecosystem services' are regulating climate conditions, purifying water, air and soil, breaking down and recycling wastes, protecting from flooding, controlling pests, and providing resources and food. As climate change begins to affect ecosystems on a global scale, these services can no longer be performed, and every organism is at a disadvantage. In many ways, ecosystem health is tied directly to the damaging effects of climate change, including factors of temperature, air quality, floodwater buffers, and biodiversity. See maps R and S below for Ireland's changes in annual temperature and precipitation because of climate change:
The maps here show recent data taken to assess changing climate conditions in Ireland, projected to simulate a high-emission scenario. Key results include:
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Human Contribution:
Human beings are, of course, the largest factors in engendering climate change. Our activities affect the conditions of ecosystems, and thusly the condition of climates. Refer to flowcharts T and U below:
Human beings are, of course, the largest factors in engendering climate change. Our activities affect the conditions of ecosystems, and thusly the condition of climates. Refer to flowcharts T and U below:
As the charts make plain, many human activities have multiple repercussions -- both on the climate and the environment, as well as on humans ourselves. These aren't the only examples of 'the human effect' in Ireland, but they are commonplace transgressions of environmental health. Other important instances of this in Ireland include pollution of water and overfishing. It's human beings and natural consequences of climate change that are working together to have such effects on the environment.
Agricultural Impact:
Not only does climate change affect biodiversity and environmental conditions, on a more human level it directly affects the types of resources available to us. Because of alterations in temperature and precipitation, certain food products can no longer be sustained in certain areas. The species either has to undergo adaptations or be re-located. See table V to the right, detailing the effects of temperature increase on agricultural exports. The temperature changes described by the chart are already coming into effect in Ireland (refer to above maps), making their agricultural impact a here-and-now event. The potato, especially, is sensitive to water stress, and the fluctuations in rainfall caused by climate change may impact the survival of this important crop. |
Not only agricultural species, but much of Ireland's flora and fauna are in danger. With the environmental unrest described in the charts and maps above, ecosystems and their inhabitants are being thrown into a state of unbalance. Warmer temperatures allow pest species to thrive. Coastal habitats are being breached by rising ocean levels, and coastal defenses from flooding are weakened. Biodiversity is decreased and food webs are being thrown into disarray. Not only is climate change an issue in Ireland, but all over the world. It is up to humans, for while being a cause of the environment's damnation, we must also be its salvation.